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Benediction

This Sunday morning we complete our study through Hebrews, which I believe to be the second longest series we have done (behind Romans).

This week’s text contains some of the usual greetings and salutations found at the end of many New Testament Epistles. The bonus is the magnificent prayer of benediction in verses 20-21 which summarizes many of the rich doctrinal and practical themes of Hebrews.

Acts 15:36-41

Text: Acts 15:36-41Speaker: Brian BorgmanDate: June 17, 2007

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

New Covenant Sacrifices

Early Christians were criticized by the Jews and others for having little outward religion: No altar, no sacrifices, no priests, and no earthly sanctuary. The author of the book of Hebrews teaches that because Jesus has fulfilled the demands of the law, worship has radically changed. We now have a spiritual altar in the heavenly sanctuary. We are priests offering spiritual sacrifices to God. Jesus Himself taught that worship would change from being earthly and localized to being spiritual and heavenly (John 4:21-24).

Many from other religions might be surprised by the simplicity of our worship. We have no statues or altars in our chapel. Our leaders don’t wear vestments. We don’t rely upon sacraments as a means by which we gain access to God. Becoming a Christian means departing from external forms of religion and from the world as we come to Christ upon Whom we solely rely to make us holy and acceptable to God. As those who have been made holy, we offer up, not sacrifices to atone for our sin, but sacrifices of praise and good works by which we express our gratitude to God for His work for us in Christ.

Strengthened By The Unchanging Jesus

This week’s text contains perhaps the most famous verse in Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” This Sunday, it will be our privilege to better understand this verse in its context. Instead of being carried away by strange teachings, the Hebrews (and we) need to hold fast to the unchanging truth they have received about the immutable Christ.

Some were trying to lure them back to the old familiar ways of Judaism, in which religion was outward. As we have already learned in Hebrews, earthly priests, sanctuaries, and sacrifices cannot bring us to God. We must rely upon the once and for all sacrifice of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.

Professing Christians today are also tempted to go back to earthly priests and sacrifices.How can we safeguard ourselves and those we love from the allurement of earthly outward religion? Our author warns that those who rely upon earthly altars have no right to participate in the perfect sacrificial work of Jesus on the heavenly altar.

Those of us who continue to follow Him may suffer the same reproach as our Lord experienced both from the world and from the religious establishment. In the end, however, it will be worth it.